Method of treating organic material



June 29 1926. 1,590,602

E. TAYLOR METHOD OF TREATING ORGANIC MATERIAL Filed June 17, 1924 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN TAYLOR, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TAYLOR LABORATORIES,

INC., OF NEW'YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD or TREATING onemrc MATERIAL.

Application'fll'ed rune 17, 1924. Serial No. 720,523.

My invention relates to improvements in treating organic material, and moreespecially for the production of imitation leathers, the surfacing of fabrics, paper, etc. The main object of the invention is to provide improvements whereby new products of commercial value may be produced and-in a simple, eflicient and economical manner. Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from the detail description given below. This application is a continuation in part of my prior application Serial No. 364,980, filed March 11, 1920.

While the invention in its broader aspects is applicable to numerous organic materials, it is especially useful in the treatment of fabrics or sheets made up primarily of cellulose, or silk, etc., and I will describe a preferred form of my improvements in connection therewith.

The accompanying drawing, 'formin a part of this specification, is a vertical vlew, partly in section, illustrating more or'less diagrammaticaly one form of apparatus suitable for carrying my improvements into eifect.

Referring to the drawing, the desired fabric 5, say of cotton, which may be wound upon a reel 2, is led over a felt covered roll 3, dipping into a trough of water4, or, in the case of very thin fabrics, paper and the like, of acidulated water, whereby the under surface of the fabric is moistened to any desired depth but to a depth preferablyless than the thickness of the fabric or sheet, the upper layer or layers remainin dry. The fabric orsheet now passes un er a roll 6 or other flowing device continuousl supplied with a solventsolution of ce ulose or the material under treatment from the trough 7. If the fabric be of cotton the solution may be of cupro-ammonia made by dis solving copper in strong ammonia water. The dry upper layers of the fabric or sheet of cellulosicfmaterial are immediatel dissolved, but the solution penetrating eeper gradually loses its solvent power until when it reaches the lowermost layers solvent eifect has become nil on account of satur- 'the fabric or sheet damp side down over a the source of current by means of stationa spring contact fingers 30 which have a sli ation and by dilution by the water or acidulated water present. Inthe case of thick or dense fabrics, or of thick solutions,-the penetration may be aided or increased by. passing box or-chamber 8 provided with transverse slots 9 on top and a suction or vacuum eke haust 10 whereby a diiference in pressure is created between the atmospheric pressure on the outside and that in the box, the moving fabric or sheet acting as a artial seal, and the solvent solution is force into the fabric or sheet by the difierence in pressures and by the removal of air from the fabric or sheet by the suction.

After the desired impregnation is obtained, the fabric is dropped below'the surface of the dilute acid in tank 20 onto the metallic belt or anode 21, by which it is carried under the fixed cathode 31. The cathode is connected to t)the negative terminal of a source of direc current by conductor 32. The metallic belt 21 is made the anode and is connected to the positive terminal of mg rubbing contact with the metallic belt, these fingers being secured to a stationary conductor member 28 which is connected to the positive terminal through a conductor 10 29. The endle'ssbelt 21 passes over rolls 22 I one of which is positively driven. As the fabric or sheet passes along on the anode belt 21 between it and the cathode 31 it is subjected to electrolytic action whereby'the cop or or metal of the solvent passes by electro ysis to and is deposited on the V cathode 31 and the ammonia is set free and. may be driven off and collected for re-use through pipe 33. The copper deposited on' the cathode may also be removed therefrom and re-used. After the'solvent constituents have thus been removed from the fabric or sheet, the latter passes into and is'taken up by a belt 24 which passes out of thetank', over roll 26 and driven roll 27 where the fabric or sheet is removed from the belt at for further treatment, the belt 24 being endless and passing back into the tank. The treated fabric or sheet is now washed in 0 running water and the same or the treated surface thereof may be dyed any color while still moist and is then passed through hot embossing rolls or other devices whereby it is dried and calendered and any desired pat tern or surface marking is effected on it. The changed cellulose is readily molded or impressed when steamed.

The imitation leathers today are mostly made by coating fabrics with various mixtures. generally containing some form of nitro-cellulose as a base, the coating being caused to adhere by rolling, etc., and in most cases may be rather easilystripped from the fabric consequently. Owing to the nitrocellulose base,the coatings are rather rapidly disintegrated by exposure to strong sunlight particularly in the presence of moisture. v

The coating obtained by my rocess on the contrary consists of practicay pure eel-- lulose. They are derived from the fabric itself and are characterized .by a adual transition of the same material rom a homogeneous or structureless elastic solid on the face, to a mixture of homogeneous and fibrous material near the central layers, the material at the back remaining fibrous and undisturbed all the layers still constitututing part of the original fabric. The various layers are integrally united and bound together, the fibers of the untreated portion of the fabric or sheet merging in tegrally into the treated material, forming a bond between the layers which is only with the utmost difliculty. It is obvious that as the solution loses its solvent power as it approaches the central layers, the coarser fibres at least will be only converted on their outer layers, the inner portions remaining fibrous and extending still lower into and through the unaffected portion, constitute a bond physically and chemically between the homogeneous face layers and the unaffected fabric beneath.

In those cases where extremely heavy or variegated coatings are desired, the solvent applied to the face of the fabric may be partially saturatedwith dissolved cellulose, etc., or it may contain material in suspension for the purpose of producing novel separated "finishes, or the fabric with its upperlayers already converted may be again coated with a solution partially or fully saturated with suspension,- before the, fabric and its coating is passed between the electrodes in the acidulated bath. 2

- While I have described my improvements in detail and with respect'to. preferred embodiments thereof, 1' do not desire to be limited to such details and embodiments,

since many changes and modifications may .be made and the invention embodied in constituents therefr widely different forms without departing from the spirit and scope thereof in its broader aspects; hence I desire to cover all modifications and forms coming within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The process which consists in treatin one face of a sheet of or anic material with a solvent thereof to a epth less than the thickness of the material and removing solvent constituents therefrom by electrolysis.

2. The process which consists in treating one face of a sheet of fibrous cellulosic material with a solvent of cellulose to destroy the fibrous character of the material to a depth less than the thickness of the sheet, leavm the other side of the sheet in fibrous condition for a depth less than the thickness of the sheet, and removing the solvent constituents from the treated side of the sheet electrolytically. I

3. The process of treating fibrous or cellularorganic material which consists in submitting one of the faces of a fabric composed of fibrous organic material to the action of a solvent of the material constituting the fabric and limiting the action of the solvent by impregnating to a predetermined depth the opposite face of the fabric with a non-solvent.

4. The process which consists in treating ing dissolved organic material which is thereby deposited on the sheet, and removing solvent constituents by subjecting; the sheet to the action of an electric current. 6. The process which consists in treatin one side of a fabric of cellulosic materia with a solvent thereof to dissolve the mate'- rial to a depth less than the thickness of the fabric, leaving the other side of the fabric in fibrous condition,the solvent containing dissolved organic material which is thereby dissolved cellulose or otherorganic material and if desired containing material in A de osited on the sheet.

; The process which consists in treating in fibrous condition, the solvent containing dissolved organic material which is thereby deposited on' the sheet, and subjectin the sheet to electrolyticaction to remove so vent 8. The process which consists in treating deposited on the sheet, and subjecting the one side of a fabric of cellulosio material sheetvto electrolytic action to remove solwith a solvent thereof to dissolve the matevent constituents therefrom, and drying '10 rial to a depth less than the thickness of the and calendering the treated face. i

5 fabric, leaving the other side of the fabric In testimony whereof I have signed my in fibrous condition, the solvent containing name to this specification. dissolved organic material which is thereby EDWIN TAYLOR. 

